Witches Under Way by Debora Geary

his quick-dry spell already causing her clothes to steam.  His grin closely resembled a certain four-year-old’s.  “I told you so.  You’d have stayed a lot drier on my team.”
    She eyed his still-dripping T-shirt.  “I’m not sure you’re good advertising for that claim.”
    “But check out my team.”  His eyes were full of mischief.  “Vero and Marion didn’t get a drop on them.” 
    “You’d put me on your team of old folks, would you?”  Jennie raised an eyebrow.  Besides, while half his team of senior-citizen defenders had stayed dry, the same could not be said for Melvin and Helga, who had pulled out water pistols to defend against Lizard’s final charge.
    Jamie followed her gaze, chuckling.  “I didn’t know they were armed.  That Helga’s a handful.”
    “You know you’re going to have to invite her back now.”  Helga’s victory dance had been a sight to behold, a popped water balloon hanging off her knitting needles as she shimmied barefoot through the puddles.
    “Of course.”  Jamie looked rather proud of himself.  “And she’ll make sure Elsie doesn’t chicken out the next time I need her, too.”
    Jennie shook her head.  Only her nephew could recruit a team full of non-witches and scared-of-a-little-water newbies and still emerge Water Balloon King.  “It’s a little hard to believe she was the mastermind behind all this.  Silliness isn’t exactly her forte.”
    Jamie grinned.  “She shocked the hell out of me.  She talked Helga and Marion into coming and recruited Vero and Melvin at her singing lesson this morning.”
    Which they had both conveniently failed to mention.  “Somehow, I don’t think that was a particularly difficult job.”
    “For them, no.”  Jamie was more serious now.  “But when was the last time Elsie approached people with an idea that was purely about having fun?”
    Jennie smiled, impressed with his instincts.  No witch trainer ever truly took their mentoring hat off—even in the middle of a monster water fight.  He’d given Elsie the role she really needed to play.
    And it wasn’t the only lesson he’d snuck in for the day.  Jennie looked around the back yard at the day’s heroes.  Helga.  Nat.  Daniel.  “A lot of pretty venerable non-witches on your team.”  Another oft-repeated Witch Central lesson, and not a bad one for their weak fire witch to learn, either.
    “Yup.”  He looked entirely too innocent.  “They throw and shoot pretty well, though.”
    Jennie looked down at her still-damp clothes.  “You don’t say.”  She’d spent ten minutes foolishly trying to defend Team Lizard’s home base from Nat and Elsie’s purely non-magical assault.  “Was that your idea or Elsie’s?”
    He grinned.  “Nat’s.”
    That figured.  Nat was no stranger to embedding life lessons in some innocent fun either.
    It was time to get some food.  Even the vanquished needed to eat.  Jennie pointed her nephew in the direction of the loaded picnic table—and then froze, her pendant blazing.  Lizard.
    Jamie was three steps ahead of her, catching Lizard as her legs gave out.  Jennie reached out with her mind, seeking, but there was very little to read—her student was out cold.
    Worried bodies crowded around as Jennie knelt beside her blonde fairy’s head—and then gave way to one very bossy nine-year-old healer snapping out orders as she moved to her newest patient’s side.  “Jennie or Lauren, set up a mind shield for her.  Uncle Jamie, port my healing bag.  Mama, we need cookies.” 
    Ginia dropped down by Lizard, placing one hand on her forehead, the other on her chest.  Witch Central quieted, well used to healing scans and the need for relative silence.  When Ginia’s eyes opened again, two things were clear.  Whatever had happened to Lizard, it wasn’t all that serious.  And somebody was in real trouble.  Or a lot of somebodies.
    “When’s the last time she ate?”  Ginia glared at everyone